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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Before going to Yellow’s place, finally exchanging names, and playing games together,
I spent the weekend as usual, seeing Yu-ra on Saturday and Ha-yeong on Sunday. Both of them brought up the same topic.
“Is it okay if I go on a trip with my team?”
“Honey, can I go on a trip?”
While I’d been preoccupied with Yellow and gaming, the Hunter Killer members had apparently been seriously discussing a trip. While I had no way of knowing the details of their discussion, the fact that both Yu-ra and Ha-yeong had asked for permission suggested concrete plans were being made.
“Sure, go ahead. When is it?”
“The third week of September, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We’re going to the West Sea.”
Yu-ra, thrilled at my approval, smiled brightly as she washed dishes.
“All of you?”
I already knew Yellow wasn’t getting along with the team and had become even more certain of their communication issues after playing games with her. The fact that Yu-ra hadn’t mentioned anything about the incident with Green suggested it had become a familiar pattern, the conflict brushed aside and unresolved.
In other words, they’d just avoided each other without actually resolving their differences.
“Ah, I don’t think Yellow is going. She doesn’t come to the meetings, so we haven’t had a chance to talk about it, and even if we invited her, I doubt she’d come.”
While I could have suggested they at least try to talk to her, Yu-ra, having known Yellow much longer, probably knew better. That’s what I thought, at least, before visiting Yellow’s place.
“I’m also going out of town around that time.”
“For what?”
I was sitting on the living room sofa with Ha-yeong on my lap, my arms around her waist, and she turned her head at my mention of leaving town.
“It’s a business trip.”
I smiled as our eyes met. Since Ha-yeong thought I had a regular job, a business trip was the most plausible explanation.
I hadn’t told Yu-ra anything. It seemed the Hunter Killer members had been talking more openly lately, their conversations naturally drifting towards relationships. The “boyfriends” they were discussing were probably me.
I had to be careful, creating separate narratives to avoid any overlap. While it was all a lie, polyamory wasn’t socially acceptable on Earth, so I had to be discreet. I also had to consider the possibility of my Spacetroe identity being exposed.
“Be careful.”
“You have fun with your teammates, don’t worry about me.”
“Okay.”
Yu-bin was waiting for me when I got home Sunday evening, and I told her about the trip, too, assuring her I was okay with her going after she told me the dates.
Then, the following afternoon, something unexpected happened when I met with Green.
“I’m… going on a trip next week…”
“A trip? Have fun.”
Green had mentioned the trip as we were walking to her apartment after lunch. Was she trying to tell me she wouldn’t be able to meet me at the park?
“Ah, okay.”
My response seemed to have surprised or confused her; her reaction was ambiguous.
“Is something wrong?”
“No! Nothing at all.”
She forced a smile and insisted nothing was wrong, so I didn’t press further. We arrived at her apartment, and I watched her go inside before heading to the arcade to meet Yellow.
The next day, Tuesday afternoon, I met Yellow at the arcade, suffered another crushing defeat, and then went to her place in the evening. Seeing her eagerness to play games, I wondered if she secretly wanted to be closer to her team.
I couldn’t help but think that, considering how much she enjoyed gaming and how patiently she was teaching me, a complete stranger, despite my initial deception.
“What are you looking at?”
Yellow, sensing my gaze, turned her head and looked at me, her eyes narrowed. Maybe she didn’t need friends after all.
“I wasn’t looking at you,” I lied, and picked up my bowl of bulgogi rice and started eating.
“You’re getting better, but why can’t you win?”
“How am I supposed to beat you?”
“I’m saying this because you can’t beat anyone else either, idiot.”
After our usual duel, I’d played online matches against other players while she watched, and as she’d just pointed out, I’d lost every single match, which had earned me another round of her nagging.
“Stop complaining. I also want to win.”
“Wanting to win isn’t enough. You have to actually win.”
The game loaded, and we ate while waiting. We’d also had dinner together yesterday, and I’d been impressed by her appetite. She ate a lot, enough to make me wonder how she maintained her figure without gaining weight. She didn’t seem to exercise, considering she spent most of her time at the arcade.
While I also had a healthy appetite, she ate about 1.5 times more than I did. Even now, there was significantly more food in front of her than in front of me.
She ate without any pretense, not trying to appear polite or ladylike, and I found her unreserved manner strangely appealing.
“You eat a lot.”
She looked at me, a spoonful of food in her mouth, her eyes asking, “Is there a problem?”, and
“No, just impressed. Eat up.”
I replied, and she continued eating, then put down her spoon and picked up the game controller.
Playing while eating was definitely more distracting, but I wasn’t going to win even if I was fully focused, so I just played.
“…Do you have other games?”
I asked, suddenly curious if she had other games besides the fighting game, and she looked at me with wide eyes.
“Why? Giving up on fighting games?”
“No, I was just curious.”
“Really?”
I’d become interested in other genres since starting the game. Maybe fighting games weren’t for me, and there might be other genres I’d enjoy more. But Yellow seemed relieved when I confirmed I’d keep playing the fighting game and checked the game CDs on the shelf under the TV.
“I have a few. Want to try something else?”
“What do you have?”
I walked over and looked through the CDs with her. I didn’t know much about video games, but there might be something that piqued my interest. As we browsed, I noticed a game she seemed particularly interested in.
It was a game she’d set aside when she first opened the shelf, and I picked it up and looked at the cover.
“A co-op game?”
It was a puzzle game with cute graphics, requiring at least two players to complete the stages. It seemed like an unusual choice for Yellow, who wasn’t exactly a team player.
“Why? Want to try it?”
She seemed even more interested than I was. She’d probably bought it hoping to play but couldn’t since it required two players.
“Sure, let’s play.”
She closed the shelf, switched the game CDs, and sat down on the sofa, picking up a controller.
I’d hoped she’d be less abrasive while playing a cooperative game, but
“You idiot, you can’t even do that?”
“You messed up the timing, too! Why are you yelling at me?!”
It was a stage where we had to jump on platforms simultaneously to reach a higher level, and after several failed attempts, due to our mismatched timing, we fell to the bottom.
“Again, again.”
We tried again but failed, our timing off. Since it was a co-op game, I’d assumed both of us were at fault if we failed, but this time, it was clearly my mistake.
“You still think it was both of our faults?”
“…Sorry.”
My earlier bravado disappeared. Seeing my own mistake, I couldn’t argue. But I could tell she wanted to play this game; while her words were still harsh, her frown wasn’t as deep as when she was teaching me the fighting game, and she seemed to be enjoying herself.
Of course, her frowning during our fighting game sessions might have been due to my terrible gameplay.
Seeing her enjoy the co-op game made me think she might actually enjoy the Hunter Killer team trip if she came along. It was ridiculous for me to be concerned about their team dynamics, but seeing her like this, she didn’t seem completely averse to socializing. Maybe there was still a chance for her to connect with her teammates.
“So, you’re sorry, but can you be a little nicer?”
“People who suck at games deserve to be yelled at.”
“You just yell whenever you’re frustrated.”
“You are frustrating.”
Her words, hitting a little too close to home, made me falter mid-jump, and we fell again, back to the beginning.
“Ah! What the hell are you doing?!”
“Your words… pierced my heart.”
“…Really?”
She seemed momentarily taken aback by my joking complaint. Was she actually concerned that she’d hurt my feelings with her harsh words?
“I’m saying this again, but it would be nice if you were a little nicer.”
Her harsh language was probably a habit, something she didn’t even think about. I’d seen plenty of videos online of friends trash-talking each other while playing games. I also used informal language and sometimes even cursed when talking to my teammates. It was a common occurrence among friends.
Honestly, her words didn’t hurt me. I’d gotten used to it in the past week, and I didn’t think she meant any harm. But the other Hunter Killer members might not be as tolerant.
They’d all struggled with social interactions, so Yellow’s abrasive communication style might not be well-received.
“I’m fine with it, but you should be more considerate of others, especially your superhuman colleagues.”
My well-intentioned advice made her expression harden.
“…It’s none of your business.”
Her dismissive tone made me retort,
“It’s none of my business, but being so harsh might hurt their feelings. You should be nicer if you want to get along with your teammates.”
“Hey.”
Had I crossed a line, interfering in something that wasn’t my business? Yellow glared at me, her eyes narrowed.
“Mind your own business. You don’t know anything about our team.”
…She was right. I wasn’t part of Hunter Killer and knew nothing about their internal dynamics. It would be better for me if she continued to believe that. It would make my job easier.
But after Green’s situation, the argument with Yu-ra, and Yu-bin’s resulting stress, I couldn’t just ignore Yellow’s behavior. I was still resentful.
I’d thought spending time with her, playing games, was easing that resentment, but her words had proven me wrong.
“I don’t, but I’m just saying, being more considerate might help.”
“Shut up!”
Yellow finally raised her voice. I couldn’t tell her directly, but I wanted her to know there was a misunderstanding between her and the other members. Or rather, under the guise of offering advice, I wanted to express my own frustration.
My anger, which had been escalating, cooled slightly at her outburst, but thinking about the stress she’d caused the others made me lose my composure.
Ha-yeong had said Yellow struggled to express herself, but I knew, once again, that it was just Ha-yeong’s attempt to see the best in her.
“Fine. Just stay like that then. Keep being rude, hurting people, and being misunderstood.”
Harsh words weren’t the only way to hurt someone. Dismissive remarks, personal attacks, and inconsiderate comments… there were many ways to hurt people, and people were easily hurt by such words.
“Get out.”
It wasn’t yelled, but her quiet command cut deeper than any of her previous insults.
“…”
There was no point in continuing the conversation.
I silently put down the controller, grabbed my phone and wallet, and left without looking back. As I took the elevator down and walked home, my mind was blank, my earlier anger replaced by a cold emptiness.
Yellow stared at the TV screen after A left, the game music still playing, then put down the controller, lowered her head, and ran her fingers through her hair.
“Ugh, I’m such an idiot.”
She sighed, cursing herself, her words echoing in the empty apartment.
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